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When Gehrman Sparrow entered the living room, there was only a floating pile of newspapers over the coffee table. The "crazy adventurer" bowed politely to the air, which would really cement his "crazy" reputation if anyone else was watching. Of course, right now, it was only Pallez Zoroast, who continued flipping the pages at ease.
In this case, Leonard was still nearby, probably in the bathroom. In the meantime, Klein sat down on a sofa, swinging his legs back and forth. In this house, he always felt himself loosening up. He absolutely needed it. That was why he milked every second of it, even if it meant being judged by a certain ex-angel or a certain handsome man.
"Klein?"
He looked up and smiled. Leonard shut the door behind him and gave him a radiant smile.
"I'm back for my lessons," said Klein. "What are we doing today, dear poet?"
"Straight to business, huh. I suppose nothing interesting happens in the Forsaken Land of Gods."
"Same old. Even if there was something 'interesting', it's more likely to be 'terrifying'." Klein chuckled. "You should hurry up and become a demigod already."
"Just wait, okay? Not everyone gets to be a Blessed, Klein." Leonard made a gesture that almost looked like he was about to boop Klein on the nose. "I wouldn't be surprised if you're secretly an angel."
Klein shook his head. "Not yet."
"That is exactly the attitude of a Blessed.”
'Well, calling me a Blessed isn't entirely wrong...'
Klein huffed. "Anyway, I'm definitely not an angel, but I'm working towards that. I'm still hunting down Demonic Wolf Kotar, remember? The whole reason why I keep visiting you all the time?"
Leonard put a hand to his chest and pouted. "And I thought it was because you wanted to see me. Ow- okay, okay Old Man, I'll stop wasting time."
Klein laughed. "Let's begin."
'And of course I want to see you, dear poet.'
After all, the Tarot Club members were basically the only thing keeping him sane. Especially Leonard, whom he'd been friends with for the longest, Leonard who called him Klein, not The World, or Gehrman Sparrow, or Sherlock Moriarty.
To Leonard, he felt, he would always be Klein Moretti, the boy who survived a suicide and became a Nighthawk under him. That was as truthful of his identity that he could get with most people in this world.
Even just spending time here in the comfort of Leonard's home reminded him of those days and calmed his heart immeasurably.
~
The hunt preparation was all very serious and critical for his success, but as the months passed, he began to feel like it was just an excuse for him to keep visiting Leonard. He had to be considerate to Fors and her spirituality, of course, but he wished he could spend more time with Leonard, and this feeling only grew each time he visited.
Klein had chosen The Star tarot for him, but it didn't just relate to Leonard's domain of influence. The Star, bringing renewed hope and faith and a sense that you are truly blessed by the universe at this time... it fit him. And it was true.
'Sometimes,' he thought, 'I feel like I'm only alive because of him.'
And in this godforsaken land, he had those types of thoughts more than ever. This was definitely a psychological problem, and he'd been seeking treatment from Miss Justice as well.
Audrey... another Tarot Club member who knew his heart better than most. It wasn't just her abilities as a demigod in the Spectator pathway. It was also partially because of their experiences in the Hall of Truth, and the fact that she knew the name Klein, but it was mostly because of her kindness and temperament. He felt like they could get along, even if it was with the Audrey who had yet to consume the Spectator potion.
Also, the whole 'not putting on a thick mask' thing. That really helped him open up, too. Perhaps he could even consider her a friend.
"Is something nagging at you?" she said. "You can share it with me if you'd like."
Klein let out a sigh. "Do I seem so troubled?"
"A little. I can sense your unrest. I can guess why, but it's better if you can vent out your feelings of unrest as well."
Klein smiled. "You're probably correct. Being in such a desolate place for so long makes you constantly on edge. You feel like you'll get used to it, but what if that's where they get you? Amon might be on my trail, the True Creator might suddenly appear. It's a place where you have to be uneasy all the time."
Audrey nodded and cast a Placate on him.
"How have you been managing?" she asked. "With these sessions, and with visiting Mr. Star, I hope they give your psyche a break from all this stress."
Klein nodded with a sound of assent. "I'm afraid I'll grow reliant, though."
"How so?" she asked, moderating her tone to sound neutral, not accusative. She needed to know where his thoughts were coming from.
"The more I escape from the Forsaken Land of the Gods, the more I leave that wariness behind, the more I want to escape reality. I'm afraid one day, I'd become obsessed with that feeling and dissociate completely."
Audrey sighed sympathetically. "It's normal to escape reality for moments at a time," she reassured him. "Though I understand what you mean. Do you often feel the urge to just break out of your situation?"
Klein thought for a bit, and nodded his head. "I have important reasons to be here, of course. I need to remember this and not get distracted."
"Just remember that your bonds and relationships are just as important. We often sideline them to focus on what we deem more urgent and more important, but they form the foundation to help us root ourselves, preventing us from slipping away." With her deep, crystalline eyes, she slowly imbued him with feelings of calm and confidence.
The session came to an end.
"Thank you, Miss Justice."
She curtsied politely. "You're very welcome."
~
As Klein entered the house, Leonard was already setting up the guest table.
"Here, some tea and biscuits. I've even gotten a small shortcake for you today, I know how much you like them."
Klein's eyes widened. "What's the occasion?"
"Your visits are an occasion!" Leonard laughed. "I passed by a bakery and decided to treat you to something nice. I highly doubt the quality of your food options over there."
Klein smiled wryly. "Just a few monsters and mushrooms."
Of course, from time to time, he would pull out delicacies from the historical void. Though they were temporary, the feeling of consuming them eased his soul tremendously. He wasn't going to admit that to Leonard though, since he went ahead and bought a real cake just for him...
"That's what I thought. Come on, eat up."
Though this was just a historical projection and his true body would not have truly eaten the cake, even just the sensation of having some new baked goods was exciting. He barely remembered to keep up appearances when he dug into the cake, savouring the lovely light texture and creamy, sweet taste of confectionery.
Leonard seemed very pleased with Klein's reaction. A few minutes quickly passed, and Klein was left with an empty plate.
"I'll get you a cake every time you come visit," declared the poet.
"That's too much of a hassle," Klein vetoed immediately.
"Nope, it's on the way. Not a hassle at all."
"...then I'll pay it back when I return."
"Please, I'm Captain of the Red Gloves. I can afford a cake every day if I wanted." Then, Leonard pouted. "Besides, you're my friend. Don't treat me like an acquaintance."
Klein blinked twice in quick succession. "Do I?"
"Yes! Treat it as a gift, not a transaction."
Klein sighed. "But I'm already imposing on you..."
"Klein. It's nothing, and I let you impose on me."
There was a stern and almost uncharacteristic gaze from Leonard's clear eyes. It made Klein feel like if he didn't let himself rely on Leonard, it would have deeply offended him instead.
"Thank you, Leonard. Really."
The smile and soft gaze came back. "It's no problem at all."
A warmth spread under Klein's chest, causing him to subconsciously smile as well.
"Right. I compiled a bunch of mysticism knowledge that Old Man thought would be relevant."
"Ah, thank you." Klein almost forgot he was here to learn from Zoroast. He took the papers, reading over the content briefly.
'Don't get distracted,' he scolded himself. 'This isn't a holiday retreat!'
Then, a small voice that sounded like Miss Justice said at the back of his head, no, it is important to root yourself to your relationships, to what's important to you. Klein didn't know if it was just the tea, but he felt warm again, and he let out a smile.
"Thank you, Leonard."
Said poet stopped for a second. Then, he turned around and looked at Klein in amusement.
"No, thank you, Klein."
Klein turned to look at him as well. For a few seconds, their gazes locked silently for no apparent reason. Leonard's eyes were a bright, crystal green today, reflecting off the light. Admiring them suddenly made him self-conscious, and he looked away.
"I... have a request, before you go."
Klein raised an eyebrow, tacitly asking him to continue.
"Can you let me see your real body?" Leonard rubbed his head. "I know Gehrman Sparrow is your default appearance for your summon, but... to me, it doesn't seem like you."
Klein instantly felt a little bit guilty. 'If I show you my real body from before the First Epoch, won’t you lose control on the spot from shock...' Still, he understood what Leonard meant. Out of all his identities, Klein was the one he identified with the most.
His body squirmed a little before transforming into the ordinary-looking Klein Moretti.
And at that moment, Leonard smiled with an emotion Klein couldn't name, only feel. With his eyes lit up like that, and his smile so gentle and... and... it was beauty. Yes, and anyone could appreciate beauty.
"Do you like this appearance so much?" Klein said, sighing. He looked so normal like this, it paled in comparison to Leonard's astonishing beauty. Then again, the normality was probably why Zhou Mingrui identified with Klein so much.
At first, it seemed like Leonard wasn't going to respond. Then, suddenly, he said, "It's you. That's what I like about it."
"You like normal?"
A surprised look, and then laughter. "You? Normal? In terms of looks, I guess, but I don't care much for looks."
"That's easy for you to say," said Klein indignantly. "You never have to worry about being normal."
'Especially not with looks.'
Leonard huffed, lifting his empty cup. "I know, I'm too pretty for my own good."
Klein barely kept a straight face and slowly blinked. "Good that you know."
Leonard let out a small snort. He sat back down, hugging himself with crossed arms.
Klein aligned the papers and with a snap, it went up in flames. He could study it in more detail later, by summoning it from the historical void. He looked at Leonard and his small, gentle smile, and decided from the next session onwards that he'd always appear in Klein Moretti's body instead. Especially if it meant he could see him smile like that again.
~
"Something else is on your mind," said Audrey. "Would you like to share it with me?"
Klein rubbed his temple, letting out a sigh even if it was only a projection of air and an essentially performative act on his part. There was no other way to express the feeling he felt at the moment. He still tried, though.
"Exhaustion," he said. "...exasperation? Confusion, and..."
He trailed off, leading Audrey to gently interrupt him. "Perhaps, longing?"
"Yes, I guess there's that," he said, softly. The more he laid it out in words, the more obvious it was to himself. "I think I might be in love."
Audrey was stunned into silence.
Following that, her first instinct was to feel alarmed. It couldn't be with someone in the Forsaken Land, could it? There were people still living there, Little Sun being a fine example, but for him to be in love so suddenly?
It could be dangerous!
"Are you certain you are not under the influence of someone from the Demoness pathway?" she asked seriously.
Klein was amused at the thought. "No, I'm certain it's not."
Audrey paused. For The World, who was always so cautious and clear headed, to make such a statement so definitively meant either there had been some terrible corruption... or, more likely, there was a very good reason for him to rule out that possibility.
With that logic, it was probably not anyone from the Forsaken Land. There were too many unknowns there.
'Eh... Don't tell me... It's me?!' Audrey's heart thumped. No... she couldn't... wait, why was she jumping to conclusions so quickly?
"How are you certain? Even if she has other Beyonder powers, it could be due to a Sealed Artifact or a similar aid."
Klein smiled with a crooked edge at his mouth. "Well... that's... basically impossible. I've known him for too long."
Now Audrey was really stunned.
Not just because Mr. World just admitted that he was in love with a man, but because out of all the men she knew Mr. World knew, there was pretty much only one that directly fit that description.
'Mr. World is in love with... Mr. Star? He's admitting this to me, knowing I'll understand from these words alone? He's unsure... He's embarrassed...'
And of course it couldn't be a demoness.
'And I even thought it might have been me... Now I'm embarrassed...'
Seeing that the pause had gone on for too long, Klein bowed his head. "I'm sorry to have made you uncomfortable, Miss Justice."
"No, not at all!" she insisted quickly. "I'm certainly not uncomfortable with same-sex relations. I'm quite alright with it. No, it was just quite a shock, that's all."
"It's alright. I've always been interested in women, so it was a shock to me as well."
"Ah... so you're unsure of your feelings right now." Audrey tapped her chin in thought. "I could try to ascertain your feelings by going into your dreams."
"No, that wouldn't work. Mr. Fool gave me 'His' blessing, so I won't be able to stop being lucid if you enter my dreams."
"I see. When will the effects of the blessing fade? We can attempt it then."
Klein rubbed his head ashamedly. "Well... as his Blessed, it's a permanent state..."
"Oh, I... see."
'Wow... I can't help but be a bit envious... Should I ask if I can become a Blessed too? Or will I be smited on the spot...' She put those thoughts aside.
"Is Mr. Fool aware? Has 'He' commented on you having such feelings? Would... would 'He' be concerned about it affecting your work?"
'...' Klein didn't have a real answer to that. 'I'm sure I think it's not too big of a hindrance, but I think I'm a little biased...'
"'He' has not given 'His' comment."
Audrey nodded, mostly to herself. "I could still help you simulate the events in your dreams. Does Mr. Star know of your feelings? Wait, it's Mr. Star, right?"
Klein controlled his facial expression and nodded. "I don't know, but it's likely."
"Do you plan to tell him?"
"Uh..." He hadn't let himself think that far yet. "I don't know."
"No worries. Please take your time. We can simulate it whenever you like."
~
Klein entered sleep with Cogitation, and slowly became aware of his presence in a dream.
He thought the whole idea was a lot like what Virtual Reality was supposed to be like, from the First Epoch. Someone controlling his dreams according to his instructions while he remained lucid in them? It was an experience that so many from his time would be dying to have.
This was Backlund, a smogless Backlund. There were parks quite like the victorian-styled ones he'd seen in pictures on the internet. In the middle of his vision was Blackthorn Security Company. Here he was Klein Moretti, with his appearance and clothes, and it occurred to Klein that he was letting Audrey directly witness his appearance.
Ah, well, he's already legally dead anyways... Not that it mattered too much. Now, if he appeared as Zhou Mingrui, that would be alarming...
He pushed those thoughts aside. As he entered the building, he saw Roxanne with her newspapers, looking up at him and giving him a smile and a greeting. He met his old teammates, remembering them wistfully. Then there was Leonard, leaning against the wall while reading from a book of poetry.
Ah, the peaceful old days.
"Good morning, dear poet."
A genial smile. “Good morning, Klein.”
His days as a Nighthawk flashed through his mind, becoming semi-corporeal in this space. He watched as Leonard poured over his cards, calling out bluffs and pulling them off himself. Klein was a silent spectator, watching the familiar faces frown, smile, and laugh with him.
Then, the work day was over, and he felt a light bump on his shoulder. Klein already knew who it was, and turned around to face him.
“Klein,” said Leonard, “Before you head back home… take a walk with me.”
“Okay,” he answered. His lucidity was questioning his sudden request, but his heart’s first answer was to agree, and so he did.
The smog came back, just enough to remind him of the true Tingen he had lived in. Full of bustling life, but riddled with secrets and depression bunched up in the streets. Leonard walked alongside him. He looked at Klein’s image of Tingen and sighed sadly.
“Klein Moretti,” he said, his intonation purposeful and his gaze locked onto said man. “What do you think of me?”
‘What? So suddenly?’ His emotion manifested in a strong sensation of his heart pumping, making him giddy, almost.
“You are a good friend of mine, dear poet.”
“Ah?” Leonard grinned. “I’m touched that you consider me a good friend, Klein.”
Klein smiled back, but he didn’t feel all that happy, either.
“I’m glad I got to know you. You’re a little weird, but aren’t we all?” He gave him a small laugh. “It’s you. That’s what I like about you.”
Klein didn’t even bother to conceal his embarrassed, reddening face. Subconsciously, he already knew it. Leonard’s kind words always had this additional meaning for him.
It’s you, it’s only you. It’s you that I like.
Those were the words he wanted to hear from him the most.
From a distance, a soft melodic tune started playing. Klein engrossed himself in the music, almost certainly swaying from side to side. He saw Leonard bent forward a little, offering an open palm.
“Let’s dance,” he said, a twinkle in his eye.
Klein threw caution to the wind and touched his hand.
Fingers intertwined on one side, an arm wrapped around Leonard's waist on the other.
Klein heard the roar of a waterfall behind him. With a single thought, he was on a meadow, a little nook in the corner where the waterfall has carved a garden just for the two of them. Butterflies fluttered in the air, the faint mist enveloping them both.
He saw Leonard's precious smiling face and felt his heart be at ease. All his worries and confusion melted into a warm, soothing feeling.
'Miss Justice... Are you using this opportunity to treat my psychological state as well...' Even if that were so, there was a certain, undeniable peace he felt in simply sharing the moment with Leonard, sharing his touch, his smile, his attention. In that moment, he felt like there was a place in this vast universe which had found him, where he belonged.
Looking at him, past his pretty appearances and into his gentle, caring soul, Klein thought, if this wasn't love, he didn't know what was.
"Thank you," he whispered.
And slowly, the dream dissipated.
~
The moment Klein acknowledged it, it hit him like a truck. Just thinking about him filled his heart with sweetness and warmth. He could barely imagine his face without smiling like a fool.
‘God, forgive me, I am so in love with this man.’
And, looking at the man in reference, who would blame him?
“Miss Justice,” he said, with a tentative tone. “Do you think I should tell him?”
“Hm…” she thought for a while. “What is the reason you want to tell him? Do you want to know his answer? Do you simply want to let it off your chest? Ah, most likely, a mixture of both.”
Klein nodded. “How, uh… what do I say to him?”
He felt so awkward. Him? Asking for relationship advice? How embarrassing… to think he thought himself a self-taught love expert while in the internet age. This time, the situation was different! Completely different!
“Be honest,” she said. “But, be aware of his boundaries. You can preface it so he knows you’re serious. If he reacts negatively, apologise for making him uncomfortable, but not for your feelings. Otherwise, you should be alright. You know him better than I do.”
“Thank you.” He was sincerely grateful for her help.
“You’re welcome, Klein.” She quickly realised her slip and covered her mouth. “I’m sorry! I got too used to Mr. Star saying it, please forgive me!”
Klein couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s alright. You’ve already seen into my dreams, anyway. Even this part of me, I couldn’t hide from you…”
Audrey giggled in response. “If you want to rehearse your confession, I can help you.”
“You mean… in a dream?”
“Yes. We can ask Mr. Fool to help me enter again, if, if he approves.” Audrey was suddenly painfully aware of how frivolous the purpose of her visit seemed, but hoped ‘He’ would take it as her trying her best to help ‘His’ Blessed.
‘Yes, after all, ‘He’ has all authority to refuse…’
Klein nodded. “I’ll have to ask.”
‘Phew.’ Audrey nodded. “I’m afraid I’ll only be available after tomorrow. Is that alright?”
“That’s fine.”
Klein recounted the days in his head.
‘Ah… tomorrow is the Tarot Club meeting.’
~
Five minutes to three in the afternoon, Klein suddenly heard illusory prayers from Miss Justice’s star. He responded to it almost immediately, hearing what she had to say.
She requested a private conversation with The Star.
Klein felt a chill run up his spine. What would she want to discuss with Leonard right before his dream session? Was Audrey about to expose Klein’s feelings to him? Though his instinct was aversion, his rational mind quickly concluded that Audrey would not be so callous, especially with matters pertaining to the heart.
Curious to see what she was planning, he tossed her prayers to Leonard’s crimson star.
…
Leonard agreed.
Sighing, Klein tossed his prayer back to Audrey, and tried to calm himself down before the meeting started. At exactly three in the afternoon, he pulled the Tarot Club members onto their chairs.
After the usual proceedings had ended, Justice and The Star faced each other, their chairs seated opposite.
The Fool watched from afar, his heart palpitating like mad.
“Why have you requested for me, Miss Justice?” asked Mr. Star, a faint smirk on his lips.
‘This idiot is probably feeling self-important…’ thought Klein. And if he could tell, Miss Spectator pathway demigod definitely could as well.
She stayed silent for a few seconds, building up the atmosphere.
“Do you like Klein?” she asked.
‘Right off the bat?!’
It took a second to notice that Leonard had frozen on the spot.
“How… was it that obvious? How did you know?” he blurted, suddenly flustered.
Klein was too shocked to react.
Audrey burst out laughing. “It was just a guess, but it looks like I hit the mark.”
Leonard stopped panicking but still appeared embarrassed. “And what about it?”
“Just wanted to confirm something. Oh, and I might need your help.”
“Ah?” Leonard said this, while Klein thought it.
“You see, my psychiatric session with Mr. World is going to start very soon after our conversation. I’ve been experimenting with dream therapy, and I’d like your assistance.”
“Oh, you want me to enter his dreams?”
“Yes.” Her lips slowly curled up into a smile. “You are free to express your true feelings and make his experience as exciting as possible.”
Leonard’s eyes shone. “I didn’t know you were this type of person. I like you.”
They shared a conspiratorial gaze that made Klein want to sweat profusely.
“Of course, we need approval first.” Audrey turned towards the tall mottled throne. “Honorable Mr. Fool, may we request your aid in bringing Mr. Star to Mr. World as well? Temporary deception will be useful for his treatment. We will inform him once the operation is over.”
Klein swore he was about to lose control on the spot.
“We will humbly accept your refusal,” said Audrey quickly, bowing her head even more.
“I will provide assistance.” The low voice hummed a (barely) monotone approval.
“Praise The Fool!” said Audrey piously.
“Praise The Fool,” said Leonard as well.
“Help,” thought The Fool.
~
Thankfully, Cogitation existed. Otherwise, Klein wouldn’t be able to fall asleep at all.
The dream started out fairly innocuous. In Backlund, with the red-gloved Leonard Mitchell, and Dwayne Dantes, who was lying down peacefully in bed.
Until said Red Glove triggered his spiritual perception and sneaked into his room.
“What are you doing here?” asked Klein, seeming shocked and exasperated at the same time. For now, he was going to play along.
Leonard grinned and pulled out a cake box from behind him. “I brought you cake.”
‘Dear poet, your imagination…’ Klein internally rubbed his temples before smiling at him. “What kind of cake is it?”
“Chocolate.”
Klein was salivating at the thought. “You brought it all the way here for me?” His look darkened. “What are you up to?”
“Ah, Klein,” he sighed. “Why are you so suspicious of me? That hurts a little…”
“Who wouldn’t be suspicious if someone sneaked into his house just to deliver him cake?!”
“Shh, keep your voice down. Let’s go somewhere after this. Or, we can have your cake outside, too.”
A long sigh. “Alright.” He morphed his body into Klein Moretti’s appearance. He adjusted his top hat. “Where to?”
Leonard regarded him with a surprised expression, before it slowly morphed into a bright smile. “Hm… let’s just hang around on the rooftops and see how it goes.”
‘So carefree…’ He supposed they could afford to in this dreamspace and nodded. “Let’s go.”
Using Flaming Jump, he made it to the neighbouring rooftops in an instant, while Leonard quickly followed behind. “You brought utensils, right?” asked Klein.
Leonard fashioned a fork for Klein’s use and presented it to him. “Here. For maximum eating pleasure.”
Ignoring him, he took the cake out of the box and started eating. In his dreams, his senses were dulled, but the faint enjoyment and memory of chocolatey sweetness made him devour the cake with innocent, childlike glee.
Klein was almost done eating when Leonard suddenly sighed. “Why do you always eat so messily,” he lightly scolded, and reached out a hand to wipe a smudge of cake from the corner of Klein’s lips.
‘...can you not be so cliché?!’
Klein had half a mind to smack him, but he couldn’t help enjoying the personal attention.
Leonard pulled away, tilting his head. “Why didn’t you stop me?”
“Oh, uh…”
Klein tried to stop himself from turning red. Normally, he had very good control over his facial expressions as a Clown, but right now he found himself unable to control his blushing face.
‘Miss Audrey!’ he shouted in his thoughts.
“Could you be embarrassed?” A teasing smile returned to Leonard. “Do you always get so embarrassed when another man touches you? Or is it just me?”
Klein decided to snap back. “Do you always buy cake for other men and flirt with them? Or is it just me?”
“?!” The poet’s expression perfectly embodied that, and as Klein started smirking, he quickly shed his bravado and became flustered.
“Finish your cake.” Leonard crossed his arms.
“Hm… do you want to help me?”
“Ah?”
“Open your mouth and say ‘ah’.”
“Ah?!”
Klein quickly stuffed a piece of cake into his mouth while it was still gaping open in shock.
“Eat well, my dear poet!”
Shocked, Leonard chewed and swallowed the piece of cake. Then, he began laughing.
“I didn’t know you had such a feisty side to you!”
Klein’s face softened into a smile that, to Leonard’s horror, quickly became smug again. “And I didn’t know you liked me. We’re even now.”
A stunned silence...
“You think I wouldn’t notice when the actual Leonard Mitchell uses his Nightmare powers to infiltrate my dreams?” His smirk remained, but his eyes softened. “I know you too well.”
At the back of Klein’s head, he could hear Miss Justice go, “Ah, Mr. Fool! You told him didn’t you?!”
He could see the mix of emotions brewing inside Leonard’s eyes. Shock, confusion, and a slow, euphoric realisation that came with a dash of uncertainty. Klein tossed the cake and fork onto the rooftop, and with a slow, measured movement, he grabbed Leonard by the wrists, sliding his grip into his hands.
“For the record,” said Klein, who could feel his blush betraying him again, “I like you too. I think. You idiot.”
~
In the soft moonlight overlooking the rooftops, two lovebirds embraced. There was still the feeling that this was all so unreal and perhaps all just a dream - well, technically, the latter was true, but in the Beyonder world it made it all the more real to them.
In the Beyonder world… in the real world… there was no room for romance.
Klein's expression became stern. "I hope you accept me knowing that I may die anytime."
Leonard's eyes showed seconds of deep, contemplative pain, and Klein was worried he had gone too far. Then, Leonard closed them as he smiled. "So might I. There's a good chance you'll outlive me too, fellow Beyonder."
"I'll have you know I'm about to court death with a subsidiary god."
They shared a laugh, and then Leonard pulled him closer. He looked deeply into his eyes, and said, "Humans love each other despite our mortality, my dear Klein. I'll love you until I lose you, and when I do, it'll be beautifully depressing. I'd rather hurt from loving you than from regretting I did not."
Despite himself, Klein smiled. "You should write a book. Your poetry is getting better."
"I didn’t know you were so good at provoking people." He laughed. "I'll take it as a compliment." He leaned in and kissed him, simply but deeply. When their lips parted, both took a few seconds to breathe.
Then, in a soft, clear voice, Leonard said, "Come back safe to me, my love."
Klein brushed back his hair and tucked it behind his ears.
"I will."